Angel With a Shotgun
by CaseyNovak16
Summary: Sometimes life throws you surprises, and sometimes they're good, yet others can unravel the very fabric of your life. For Joan and Arthur Campbell life seems to be finally on track, but some things happen that can change their lives for better or worse.
1. Accidental

It had started out just like any other morning. He had woken up promptly at 6:00

A.M. and took a shower. He then had proceeded to his closet and picked out a

Suit, shoes, and a matching tie. The only abnormal thing about this particular

Morning, was that Joan was usually already up and had started the coffee, but he

hadn't seen her even stir. He walked back over to their bed and gently nudged

her.

"Joan, Joan sweetheart wake up" he said. Her eyes began to flutter open. She

didn't reply, but instead only made a painful moaning sound. Arthur then became

concerned. "Joan, are you okay?" he asked. "No, not really" she said holding her

stomach. "Is there anything I can do?" he asked sympathetically. "You could

excuse me from work today" said Joan. "Consider it done" said Arthur planting a

kiss on her head.

"Thank you" she said. "Do you want me to stay with you?" he asked worriedly.

"No, you should go; they need you more at work than I do" replied Joan. "Are you

sure?" asked Arthur. "Yes, I'll be fine" she said as another wave of nausea hit her.

This time she couldn't just force it away. She threw back the covers and ran

toward the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.

She dropped to her knees in front of the toilet and started to throw up. Arthur

walked over and tapped on the door. "Joan are you okay?" he asked. "Yeah, fine"

she said just as she let loose another wave of vomit. "I'm coming in" he said.

"Arthur it's not pretty, I really don't think you want to…." she stopped in mid-

sentence and hunched over the toilet starting to throw up again. "Too late" said

Arthur, who had just walked in. "Do you want me to call the doctor?" he asked

her.

"No, I will, you should go, you're going to be late for work" replied Joan, who had

now finished puking her guts out. "Okay" he said planting another kiss on her

forehead. "Feel better" he said. "I'll try" said Joan. Arthur then grabbed his

briefcase and headed out the door. Joan flushed the toilet and proceeded to look

in the mirror. What she saw made her frown. She had vomit crusted on the side

of her lip, horrible bags under her eyes from tossing and turning the night before

and barely being able to sleep, and she just thought to herself that she looked like

crap.

She decided to take a shower. The warmth of the water helped make her feel a

little better. She finished up and then grabbed her phone off the nightstand and

proceeded to call the doctor. "Doctor Carmike's office" answered the voice on the

other end. "Hey Shelly, this is Joan Campbell, is there any way that you could

squeeze me in today?" she asked. "Hang on a sec, and let me check. Joan could

hear typing on the other end of the line. "Yeah, she can see you around noon;

does that work?" asked Shelley. "Yes that'll be fine, thank you" said Joan. "No

problem" replied Shelley. Then they respectively hung up their phones. Joan laid

her phone back down on the nightstand and headed over to her closet.

She searched for a while until she found that outfit that was just right. The one

that said yeah I may feel like crap, but I'm sure as hell still gonna look good. She

decided on a pair of comfortable jeans, a beige V-neck sweater, a pair of knee-

high brown boots, and her favorite trench coat. She then blow-dried her hair and

let it fall down her neck in waves. By then it was about ten o'clock. She had a

little time to kill before the appointment.

She figured she might as well try to eat something, even with the looming threat

of upchucking all over again. She went into the kitchen. She didn't know how she

was gonna make it through the day without her usual morning cup of coffee, but

she had decided against it for fear that it would turn her stomach. She decided

instead on glass of orange juice and a piece of toast with grape jelly.

She finished with her breakfast and cleaned up. She picked up her cellphone and

tossed it in her purse. She grabbed her keys from the hook in the kitchen. Then

she looked out the window, because the weatherman had predicted that a

snowstorm would be coming their way, and indeed he was right, because it had

started to come down She went to the hall closet and grabbed a scarf. She set the

alarm and then headed out. As soon as she got in her car she turned the heat all

the way up to high and turned on the defroster.

She thought to herself, if feeling like crap wasn't bad enough, now she had to

freeze her ass off just to go to the doctor to have her tell her that it was a touch of

the flu or a simple stomach bug. But she had promised Arthur, and she knew him

all too well to know that if she didn't go he would find out somehow, because he

was in fact Arthur Campbell, and that meant that he had his ways. But that's why

she loved him. I mean sure they had their fair share of ups and downs, sometimes

more downs than not, but they had made it through in spite of everything.

She couldn't help but smile to herself as she started to think about that night only

two weeks before. It was the night of their anniversary and she had just figured

that Arthur would forget it like he had a lot of things lately. She had come home

just completely worn out and fed up with work. As she had opened the door she

detected the faint smell of cinnamon. She had taken one step inside and had

suddenly been swept off her feet by Arthur. It had startled her for a second, but

then as he carried her the rest of the way into the house her eyes had lit up with

amazement. There were rose petals everywhere and candles, and on the table

there was a bottle of wine and a wonderful smelling dinner. He had put her down

and had started to pull her chair out for her, when she had pulled him to her and

began to kiss him. They had enjoyed a wonderful romantic dinner and had started

to really open up to each other and talk for the first time in a while. Afterwards

they had retired to the bedroom and made mad passionate love well into the late

hours of the night.

Due to the strengthening snow storm, there wasn't a whole lot of traffic on

the road and Joan was thankful for that, as it made the drive to the doctor's

office easier and a lot less stressful. As she drove along, she sang along to the

words of one of her favorite songs, "Nothing But a Miracle by Diane Birch. She

couldn't help but think top herself that just a little over two weeks ago that song

had perfectly described she and Arthur's relationship. Now it seemed as if

everything had changed for the better.

It wasn't long before she reached the doctor's office. She pulled her car into one

of the empty parking spaces. She looked at the clock. She was about 15 minutes

early. She gathered up her purse, took her keys out of the ignition, and headed

inside. As she headed towards the counter she was greeted by a pleasant woman

a few years younger than her with light brown hair. "Hey Shelley" greeted Joan.

"She's just finishing up with another patient; she should be with you shortly"

replied Shelley. "Okay thanks" said Joan smiling. "Just take a seat anywhere"

replied Shelley.

Joan took a seat near the window that was somewhat isolated. She hated

doctors' offices; hated being around all the sickness, the melodramatic elevator

music, the pasty color of the walls, and then of course there was the overly peppy

attitude of most of the nurses, though there were some exceptions. She did a

quick take on the people in the room with her, something that had become a part

of her daily routine since she joined the C.I.A. It was due in part to paranoia, but

also it had become a sort of methodical game trying to read people's facial

expressions and figure out what they were thinking.

There was a woman who Joan surmised had to be in her late thirties or early

forties. She had a little boy and a teenage girl with her. Then she noticed

something else, the woman's distended belly. She thought to herself I'm glad I'm

not that woman at that age and knocked up. Granted it had probably been an

accident, but…. Then it hit her like a ton of bricks, the stomach pain, the insomnia,

and the nausea. It had never even crossed her mind before, even a couple of

hours earlier when she was puking her guts out, but now as she sat there in this

waiting room, she thought more and more about it being a possibility. But then

again there was no way because she and Arthur had always been very careful

when it came to their sex life.

She was getting lost in her thoughts, when she heard a voice call out. She was

quickly snapped back to reality. "Joan, the doctor will see you now" said Shelley.

This is it Joan thought to herself as she slowly got up and followed Shelley into

one of the examination rooms. "She'll be right with you" said Shelley as she

closed the door and headed off down the hall. Joan sat there just anxiously

fidgeting away with her hair. She felt just like a little 9 year old Joan again, when

her mother had taken her to the emergency room, after the neighbors' German

Shepard had jumped the fence and had attacked her. She still had the scar on her

leg as a reminder.

Finally after what felt like an hour to her; though realistically it had only been

about five minutes, the door opened and in walked Doctor Carmike. "So Joan,

what brings you in today" she asked. "Well I woke up feeling sick to my stomach

this morning and a little dizzy" replied Joan. "And then of course, you know how

Arthur can be; he wanted me to come in" she continued. "I see, and have you

had any other symptoms?" asked the doctor. "Not really, I mean I have been

having trouble sleeping lately, but I just attributed that to the job" said Joan.

"Anything else?" she asked Joan."No nothing that I can think of" replied Joan. "I

see, Joan, have you missed any periods?" asked Doctor Carmike. Joan hesitated

for a moment and then answered. "My last period was about a month and a half

ago, and I was due for another one about a week ago" replied Joan. "Well Joan, it

sounds to me like you might be pregnant; You've got the majority of the symptoms,

fatigue, insomnia, nausea, and a missed period." said the doctor. "No way, I'm sorry

but that's just not possible" exclaimed Joan. "Are you sure about that Joan?" asked the

doctor. "Well yes, I mean….Uh… I don't know" replied Joan exasperated.

"Alright, I realize that this can be frustrating, so here's what we're gonna do" said

Doctor Carmike. She walked across the room and rummaged around in a drawer.

She pulled out a rectangular shaped box and walked back over to Joan. "There's a

bathroom right down the hall; I want you to take this pregnancy test and come

back and see me when you're done." "If it's positive, we'll discuss what's next"

said the doctor. Joan shakily reached for the box in the doctor's outstretched

hand. Then she headed down the hall.

Once inside the bathroom, she locked the door. She hesitated for a moment

before opening the box. Finally, realizing that it must be done, she opened the

box, sat down on the toilet, and proceeded to take the test. When she was done,

she sat the test on the sink, washed her hands and began to wait. What seemed

like years to her was literally about 10 minutes. The alarm on her cellphone went

off causing her to jump. With her anxiety building, she picked up the test and

stared down at a plus sign. She couldn't believe her eyes. That feeling of nausea

came over her again and she found herself bent over the toilet once again. After

round two of puking ,she cleaned herself up and proceeded to go back into the

examination room. Without a word she handed the test over to the doctor.


	2. What Happens Now

Dr. Carmike stared down at the test in her hand. Then she tossed it in the trash. "Okay Joan, let's talk

about what comes next" said the doctor.

"Oh believe me, even though I've never been pregnant before, I pretty much know what comes next;

morning sickness, swollen ankles, lactating breasts, always having to use the bathroom, mood swings,

and the list just goes on and on" said Joan.

"Well it does seem like you know a lot; we just need to go over a couple of things" replied

the doctor. "First I'd like to do an ultrasound to see how far along you are" she said.

"Fine" said Joan.

"Alright, if you'll just step over here for me" said Doctor Carmike as she motioned Joan over to where

the ultrasound equipment was. Joan laid down and the doctor prepared the machine.

"Lift up your shirt for me please" asked the doctor. Joan did as the doctor said.

"Okay now this might be a little cold" said Doctor Carmike as she started applying the gel to Joan's

stomach. Joan flinched a little from the cold feeling of the gel, but soon became accustomed to it.

The doctor swirled the baton around until she found what she was looking for.

"There, you see that?" she asked Joan as she pointed to the screen. Joan looked at the screen and could

just barely make out the silhouette of what was she and Arthur's baby. In that moment all her fears

and doubts about her pregnancy seemed to vanish, and were replaced by a feeling of wonder. The

thought that she and Arthur had created a life coupled with seeing it for the first time completely

overwhelmed her.

"From the looks of it I'd have to roughly estimate that you're between two to three weeks along" said

Doctor Carmike. "Yeah that sounds about right" said Joan thinking back to the night of their anniversary

and smiling. Joan cleaned off the remaining gel and put her shirt back down.

"Alright let's get down to business then" said Doctor Carmike. "First of all, let me make it clear that I am

in no way trying to convince to go one way or another." "With that being said, you do have options;

Termination is one of those, as is the possibility for adoption" said the doctor.

"I don't think either of those will be necessary" said Joan somewhat taken aback by the doctors heinous

assumption that she would even consider aborting her child. The doctor could tell that Joan was

somewhat offended by her words.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you Joan, I was simply explaining to you that there are options,

should you choose not to keep the baby" said the doctor.

"Well I appreciate the concern Doctor, but I'm a big girl I can handle it" replied Joan.

"Well I'm glad to hear you say that Joan" said the doctor. "Now then I am going to prescribe a prenatal

vitamin to be taken a minimum of once a day, and you will need to come back and see me once a month

during your first trimester; Also at about 28 weeks you will need to come in every 2 weeks, and at 36

weeks you will need to see me every week" explained the doctor. "In addition to what you said you

knew about earlier, you may also experience constipation, fatigue, heartburn, faintness, dizziness,

headaches, and cramps" she continued. "And I'm not gonna lie to you Joan, there are some serious risks

involved for a woman your age." "The baby could be born with either a physical or mental defect.

"Gestational diabetes and high blood pressure are possible. "This could lead to a condition called

Preeclampsia, which is a very serious medical condition that can result in needing an emergency

delivery of the baby." There is also a higher risk for miscarriages, and complications during delivery" the

doctor finished.

"Oh is that all?" asked Joan, her voice dripping with disdain.

"I'm not trying to scare you Joan, but I needed to make you aware and prepare you for anything"

replied the doctor. "Seeing as how you're in great physical condition and seemingly very healthy, it

lowers the risk somewhat, but you need to avoid stressful situations as much as possible and also eat

right and take your prenatal vitamins daily" she continued.

"I'm not trying to be rude, but in my line of work avoiding stressful situations is pretty much impossible"

said Joan.

"I realize that Joan, all I'm saying is try to avoid unnecessary stress; Also given the risks associated with

pregnancy in a woman your age, I'm going to highly recommend that you go on maternity leave at

around the seventh month" said Doctor Carmike.

"Thank you" replied Joan.

"No problem, that's what I'm here for" said the doctor ripping a page off of her prescription pad and

handing it to Joan. "Call me if you have any questions or concerns" she continued.

"Will do" replied Joan gathering up her purse and then heading out the door.

Once she was back in her car, she pulled her cellphone out of her purse and dialed Arthur's number

full of apprehension.

"Arthur Campbell" he answered.

"Arthur, it's me" said Joan.

"How are you feeling sweetheart?" he asked.

"A little better" said Joan.

"I'm glad" he said. "So what did the doctor say is it the flu" he asked.

Joan hesitated a moment. She really didn't want to tell him about the pregnancy over the phone, so she

made up a little white lie to tide things over until she found the right time to reveal the news to Arthur. "

"Um yeah, just a little touch of it, nothing to be too concerned about" she replied trying to be

convincing.

"Are you sure" he inquired.

"Yeah nothing that a little tlc couldn't cure" said Joan.

"Well in that case I better get home" said Arthur.

"Well I'm headed that way now, I just have to stop by the pharmacy and pick up my prescription" said

Joan.

"Considering what a slow and quiet day it's been here, I should be able to leave in about an hour or so,

and I can give you the proper attention you deserve" said Arthur, his voice dripping with sensuality.

Arthur was just about to say something else, when something was brought to his attention

"Excuse me sir, we have a situation" said the young man addressing Arthur. Joan could here whispering

on the other end of the line, and then Arthur spoke again.

"Joan, Sweetheart, I'm so sorry but something's come up, I won't be home til late; Are you gonna be

okay?" asked Arthur.

Joan knew how important Arthur was to the agency and that anytime a situation came up he had to play

an integral part in absolving it, but still she couldn't help but feel a sense of neglect.

"Joan?" inquired Arthur.

"Yeah, I'll be fine, you go deal with whatever it is you need to do" she said.

"Come on now Joan, please don't be like that" said Arthur knowing full well from the tone of her voice

that she was upset.

"Don't be like what Arthur, I said I'll be fine, I'll see you whenever you get back" said Joan.

"Babe, now I don't want you to wait up so late when you're sick" said Arthur.

"Arthur, I'm a big girl, I'll be okay, besides there's something we need to talk about" said Joan.

"Alright, but I am going to make this up to you in so many ways, I promise" said Arthur.

Joan couldn't help but chuckle to herself. "I am gonna hold you to that Mr. Campbell" said Joan jokingly.

"That's quite alright with me Mrs. Campbell" replied Arthur. "I'll be home as soon as I can, I love you

Joan" said Arthur sincerely.

"I love you too Arthur, I'll see you tonight" said Joan. Then they both hung up.

Joan put her phone in the passenger's seat, put the key in the ignition and started on her way to the

nearest pharmacy. She picked up her vitamins and then headed home to think of the exact way in which

she was gonna tell Arthur about the baby.


	3. We're Having a Baby, My Baby and Me

When she got home, she put her purse down on the coffee table, threw her coat over the back of the

couch, then proceeded to the kitchen. She read the label on the bottle of her vitamins and then

proceeded to take one. She was actually relieved that the directions stated that the vitamins were best

taken on an empty stomach, because she was still feeling somewhat queasy and didn't want a repeat

that morning. She grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator and swallowed one of the vitamins

down.

She then retired to the couch and began to flip through the channels to see if anything good was on.

She figured it might take the stress of off her brain from trying to figure out the perfect way in which to

tell Arthur she was pregnant.

It didn't. All she could think about was how to tell Arthur the news. I mean they hadn't ever really

discussed the prospect of having kids, except the one time they had both agreed that they wanted to

focus more on their careers than have a family. But that was when they first got married many years

ago. She didn't know if his feelings had changed. Hell, given their ages and the strenuous nature of

their jobs, having kids was probably the furthest thing from his mind

Suddenly she felt like an emotional wreck. She just started crying. "Damn hormones" she cursed out

loud. She grabbed a handful of tissues out of the box that was sitting on the coffee table and just curled

up into a little ball. After a couple hours of hysterical crying she drifted off to sleep, the weight of her

plaguing thoughts and that of her current situation being too much for her to stay awake.

It was around 11:30 p.m. when Arthur returned home. The first thing he saw as he walked through the

door and entered the living room, was Joan curled up on the couch asleep, her hand draped over the

side of the couch with a tissue clutched in it, and the T.V. on. He walked over to the T.V. and switched it

off.

He already felt bad for leaving her at home alone all day while she was sick, so he decided that instead

of risking waking her up to carry her to their room, he would just let her rest where she was. He

instinctively got a blanket and proceeded to drape it over her so that she would be warm. Joan, being

somewhat of a light sleeper, began to stir.

"Arthur" she yawned. "What time is it?" she asked starting to sit up. Arthur looked at his watch.

"About 11:35 he said.

"Really, it's already that late?" inquired Joan. "I can't believe I slept that long" she said.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to wake you up sweetheart" said Arthur sympathetically.

"It's alright" said Joan.

"No, it's not Joan, you need your rest if you're gonna kick this flu" said Arthur. He placed his

hand on her forehead. "You don't feel very warm but …" was all that Arthur got out before Joan

interrupted him.

"Arthur that's what I need to talk to you about" said Joan reluctantly.

Arthur stopped her when he noticed something. "Joan, have you been crying?" he asked.

"No" said Joan lying through her teeth.

"Joan, I see it in your eyes." "Please, tell me what's bothering you?" said Arthur.

Tears were threatening to come again, and as much as she tried she couldn't hold them back and they

came streaming out. He pulled her into his arms and gently rubbed circles on her back.

"Joan, honey, what's wrong?" he asked very concerned.

She figured she better just get it over with and tell him the truth, so that he wouldn't think that she was

hysterically crying for no reason. She finally was able to will the tears to stop. "Arthur" she began. They

pulled apart and stared right into each others eyes.

"Yes Joan?" he inquired.

"I…um… I don't really have the flu" she stammered.

"You don't ?" he asked surprised, and yet confused at the same time.

"Well, no, not in the typical sense" replied Joan.

"What do you mean Joan?" he asked.

"Do you remember that night about two weeks ago when you cooked that amazing dinner and we

talked for the first time in a long while, and then afterwards, we…um… you know?" she said.

"Yeah Joan, I remember" he said grinning and chuckling. She forced a smile. He looked at her with a

perplexed grin. "And?" he inquired.

"Well, I didn't completely lie about having the flu" said Joan.

"I don't follow babe" he said.

"I do have the flu but metaphorically speaking" she said.

"Okay" said Arthur still pretty much confused.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is that….Arthur…I have the baby flu" said Joan, freaking out about how

he would react, but yet relieved at the same time to just finally get it out there.

It took him a minute to process exactly what she was saying, and then it hit him full force. "Joan, are

you trying to tell me what I think you are?" asked Arthur. She just simply nodded. "Wow, are you

serious?" he asked clearly astonished.

"Yeah" she said.

"You're pregnant" he said.

"I'm pregnant" said Joan, reiterating it.

"Oh my… Just wow, I can't believe it" he said overwhelmed with excitement.

"So, wait, you're not upset?" asked Joan inquisitively.

"Upset, Joan, how could you even ask such a thing" he said.

"I…I…just thought that you…" she got out before he stopped her.

"Joan, I'll admit that this is one of the biggest shocks, but that doesn't mean that I'm any less thrilled

about it." "I mean no it wasn't planned or expected but we'll make it through this because we're

Campbells and we're a family" he said placing his hands on her stomach. "I love you Joan, and you're

going to be an amazing mother" he said wiping away the remnants of tears on her

cheek.

"I love you too Arthur and you're going to make a wonderful father" she replied. Then their lips

met in a sensual kiss that lingered for a good while. Then she snuggled down against his chest as he

snaked his arms around her. In that moment, Joan realized that everything was gonna be okay because

they had each other.


	4. Bubbly

Arthur had somehow managed to untangle himself from Joan and had gotten up early to cook breakfast.

Joan was fast asleep until the delectable smells of breakfast wafted into the living room causing her to

slowly stir. She slowly opened her eyes, yawned, pulled back the blanket, stretched, and made her

way into the kitchen.

"Mmm, something smells good" said Joan. "Joan, I don't know how you do that" said Arthur startled.

"Do what?" asked Joan chuckling.

"Sneaking into a room" said Arthur snaking his arms around her waist and kissing her neck.

"I guess it's just a spy thing" said Joan smiling.

"I think it's more of a Joan thing, you always did like having the element of surprise" Arthur whispered in her ear.

"Okay, so I guess you got me, the secret is out" said Joan laughing. "So what are we having this

morning?" asked Joan.

"You're favorite, a Spanish omelet, French toast, and freshly-squeezed orange juice" replied Arthur.

"Wow aren't you quite the chef" said Joan.

"I dabble" he replied jokingly. Joan chuckled.

"Not that I'm complaining, but no coffee this morning?" asked Joan.

"Joan aren't' you forgetting something?" he asked staring down at her stomach.

"You don't seriously mean…" he stopped her short.

"Yeah I do" he said.

"No Caffeine, seriously?" asked Joan.

Arthur just shook his head. At this Joan started to make a pouty face. "That's not gonna work Joan" said Arthur.

"Fine" she said, defeated as she sat down at the kitchen table. Arthur picked up a glass of orange juice and a plate

of food, and put them down on the table in front of Joan. Then he walked behind her and started

massaging her shoulders.

"I don't know how I'm ever gonna get through this pregnancy" said Joan exasperated. "Me without caffeine is like the Titanic hitting the iceberg, pure

disaster"said Joan.

"I won't argue with that" said Arthur jesting. She elbowed him in the side playfully.

"Shut up" she said kidding with him.

"Now enough chit chat, you need to eat something Joan" said Arthur, handing her a fork.

"Do you honestly want to risk a repeat of yesterday morning" said Joan. "I would hate for most of

your delicious breakfast to end up in the toilet bowl, if you know what I mean" said Joan.

"I'll take the risk, now you need to eat something" said Arthur handing her a fork.

"Whatever you say boss" said Joan sarcastically and playful like.

"That's right and don't you forget it Mrs. Campbell" said Arthur grinning.

"Or what Mr. Campbell?" asked Joan slyly grinning.

"Or I just might have to do this" said Arthur as he started kissing her neck and then pressed his lips to hers for a passionate lingering kiss.

"Mmm, well that wasn't so bad" said Joan. "Maybe you should let me have some more just to make sure I behave" said Joan seductively.

"Oh Yeah" he replied.

"Yeah" said Joan biting her bottom lip seductively. He started to nibble on her ear. A sigh of contentment escaped her lips.

"Why don't we continue this in the bedroom" he whispered. Joan grinned devilishly and chuckled.

"I hate to burst your bubble Arthur, but isn't that what got us in this situation in the first place" she said pointing at her stomach.

"Yes, but since you're already in that state, now we can be spontaneous" said, grinning widely.

"Is that a fact Mr. Campbell? "Joan asked rhetorically.

"Why yes it is" he replied. In the next moment he swept her up in his arms and proceeded to carry her towards the bedroom.


End file.
